A Decade in the Dark
by TheAllisons
Summary: Marian was mindlessly tapping at the stone on the wall, when she realized, she would be twenty four now. So much of her life gone. trying to keep her sanity, wondering when she would lose her mind. Eating the same gruel, only managing it because she told herself that she would make it out of here, and make them pay. (DARK MARIAN) Please R&R


Five years. It was five years today.

Five years in this hell hole, every day watching the same wall, she knew each crevice, every little place where the shadows fell. As days turned into months the only thing that kept her sane was counting them. She had no cell mates, but occasionally she would hear quiet mumbles, or the soft pattering of a rat on the wet floor. At first she was crying every night, and not eating, she had no will to live. But when the first year passed then the second, she was filled with anger, cold and deadly. They had imprisoned for her father's mistakes, she was young and innocent when it happened.

"She's dead!" The maid's cry echoed through the house.

Her aunt, lay dead on the plush carpet, not an injury on her, but her eyes had the frosty film of death and her face was filled with a look terror and pain.

Marian shuddered at the memory pressing her back against the stone wall of her cell.

"Evil child, has no concept of right or wrong."

Marian had cried not understanding why her father would say such horrible things about her. What had she done wrong?

He just watched with no hint of light in his eyes, he was as cold and hard as a stone.

Marian saw it now. How easy it was to put the blame on the cold and crazy child, who talked of seeing things that no other could. Of course she could kill her aunt. Nobody hesitated when she was imprisoned, they were all eager to continue with their lives.

Nobody cared.

She was crazy always chattering about things that nobody but her could see. It had terrified her mother. Emma sighed, they had gone now the voices always calling he, even the lights had gone. Everything was just cold stone and darkness.

Her cell was small, no cracks for sunlight, the only light was from under the door. Or sometimes when a guard came and light filled her cell, she would cover her eyes, she couldn't stand the light. So long without it had taught her not to need it. Over the years she dreamed and hoped of someday leaving her stone cell, as time passed it only served t make her angrier she never gave up hope. Her burning hate kept her believing.

She hated that she had only her dark thoughts to keep her company. Why hadn't her sisters come to help? oddly she hadn't even seen them as she was dragged into prison.

Marian was mindlessly tapping at the stone on the wall, when she realized, she would be twenty four now. So much of her life gone. So much waste just sitting in this half darkness, trying to keep her sanity, wondering when she would lose her mind. Eating the same gruel, only managing it because she told herself that she would make it out of here. She would get out and make them pay, make them suffer. They had ruined her life just because they didn't understand her.

They knew she hadn't killed her aunt, but they didn't want their precious family ruined by the crazy child.

Marian gritted her teeth. Her morning meal should come soon. It was something she almost looked forward to, it gave her a sort of hope seeing that there was in fact still life outside her cell, still light.

She curled up and covered her eyes as she heard the familiar groan of the heavy door opening. She waited for the clunk of her tin tray on the ground. It never came.

She froze hardly daring to breath, it seemed even her heart stopped beating.

"Marian?" A quiet whisper.

She croaked. "Yes." Her heart pounding, were they here to execute her?

"You might want to keep your eyes closed."

It was a man's voice. Marian's heart wouldn't stop pounding, she wasn't sure whether it was from fear or excitement.

Arms scooped her up. Marian was taken by surprise, she tensed in fear and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She could hardly try and fight. Her best chance was to wait until she was out of the prison.

She felt a lump rise in her throat as air rushed against her, the light changed through her eyelids it was suddenly blinding and white. Sunlight?

She heard birdsong, beautiful and high pitched. She couldn't open her eyes even with them closed it still burned and blinded her. The man let go of her, he put her down, on the ground? She rubbed her hands against it, it was grass. Cold and damp.

"You might need this." It was the man again. She could hear him breath as he tied something itchy around her eyes, she finally let them relax as she gently padded it with her fingertips, it was wool. He placed something heavy on her shoulders, a jacket.

She tried to speak but her voice only came out as a dry crackle.

"Don't try and talk I will explain everything soon, just know I'm not here to hurt you. Don't try and fight me because I am your only chance for freedom."

She nodded. Not trusting him in the slightest, but she was smart enough to know this was her chance.

"Good."

Her heart filled with elation as she was placed on a horse and she rode with a stranger to freedom.

Her chance, finally.


End file.
